The GSS project (Gaining SecuritySymbiosis) aimed at contributing towards increased security and quality of life for inhabitants and visitors of the border region of the middle part of Sweden and Norway. Within this goal the project also aimed at increasing the likelihood of saving livesand reducing threats to the environment and material assets. GSS focuses on providing the information and knowledge required in emergency and crisis situations. GSS emphasizes preparatory activities. The cross-border value added by the project has several dimensions: •It increases understanding, trust and cooperation between emergency personnel on both sides of the border.•Authorities with responsibility for security establish long-term institutional partnership with respect to security and crisis management.•The attractiveness of the border region increases due to enhanced securityand improved crisis management.•The mutual knowledge and understanding regarding the situation across the national border increases among project participantsThe project has implemented three yearly cycles of training consisting of building a scenario, training in handling a crisis situation and evaluation. The results from the evaluation have provided the foundation for the next year cycle. The project also developed a training system across these three cycles. The training system includes a scenario bank, training exercises and support, play-back function and an evaluation module including statistical functions. The evaluations from these training sessions are included in a separate appendix. The first training session was conducted as a table-top exercise at the Border Rescue Council meeting in 2011. The other two training sessions were designed in order to allow the participants to sit at their respective workplaces and communicating with the other participants partly through traditional communications channels and through the training system. The training sessions were then discussed in the subsequent Border Rescue Council meetings. By accessing the scenarios and exercises in the training system the participants from the various rescue teams took part in the training sessions.The project results show that there is a great need for this kind of training. The participating organizations express that the training sessions havebeen very instructive and that participants have gained new contacts or developed the contacts that were already established. The results also show that participants have directly benefited from the project during real emergency events. The project costshave amounted to approximately 3,2 SEK and just under 2,5 NOK. Expenses have primarily consisted of the working hours of partners and to some extent travel expenses. The travel expenses have been reduced by the frequent use of distance communication technologies instead of physical meetings.

5.

Asproth, Viveca

et al.

Mid Sweden University, Faculty of Science, Technology and Media, Department of Computer and System science.

In this article the focus is how to train collaboration and communication between emergency authorities in two countries (Norway and Sweden) by using a web-based tool supporting tabletop like exercises. The exercises are accomplished in three steps: Scenario design; exercise design and realization; and evaluation to examine the results of the exercises and for feedback to new scenario designs. The software ties all three steps together. The process is iterative, and involves users from each emergency authority. The preliminary results after two years show that the approach is promising. To be able to better foresee what will happen during an exercise the need for a simulator has appeared as one desirable and possible direction for further research.

6.

Asproth, Viveca

et al.

Mid Sweden University, Faculty of Science, Technology and Media, Department of Computer and System science.

Holmberg, Stig

Mid Sweden University, Faculty of Science, Technology and Media, Department of Computer and System science.

Löfstedt, Ulrica

Mid Sweden University, Faculty of Science, Technology and Media, Department of Computer and System science.

Öberg, Lena-Maria

Mid Sweden University, Faculty of Science, Technology and Media, Department of Computer and System science.

The idea of anticipatory modeling and simulation with subsequent learning from the outcomes is here applied on inter-regional security work. In this setting, multi-actors have to both cooperate and make coordinated decisions with just partial information about each other. With help of netAgora, a net based environment for simulation, learning, and communication, the goal of training, preparedness and continuous improvement of decisions is met.

The idea of anticipatory modeling and simulation with subsequent learning from the outcomes is here applied on inter regional security work. In this setting, multiactors have to both cooperate and make coordinated decisions with just partial information about each other. With help of netAgora, a net based environment for simulation, learning, and communication, the goal of training, preparedness and continuous improvement of decisions is met.

Since information technology (IT) has been adopted in modern police work, it has become an important tool for increasing efficiency in police work. IT has also resulted in the phenomena of IT-related crimes and crimes that take place in both physical and digital worlds, ie, in what is defined as a hybrid environment. The hybrid environment forces police officers to collect information in both digital and physical worlds. This paper aims to gain new knowledge of police work practice in a hybrid work context. A case study approach is applied as the research method, and a large police investigation is used as the study object. In the police investigation, digital footprints played an important role in aggregating evidence. This research used the Synergy-4 model as an analytical lens to explain the multi- dimensions of IT use in a hybrid environment, and to increase knowledge on how police work is carried out in this environment. This research found that IT played an important role in the success of the investigation and in the manage- ment of digital footprints, but competence and management were as important.

To increase the preparedness Crisis response and management authorities carry out various forms of exercises. This article is based upon a three year long project named Gaining security symbiosis (GSS). The project was aiming to increase the collaboration between crisis actors in the Swedish-Norway border region through exercises. We argue that creation of scenarios is a design challenge. In the GSS project, the exercises are built upon designed scenarios, which should make the exercise realistic and make the trainee train the expected. We propose a scenario design method that is built upon an iterative approach and that includes collaboration with the actors that are involved in the exercise. The method also includes a set of characteristics that could be used to evaluate the events of the scenario. The method have been developed and refined during the project and show some promising result. There is however a need for future research when it comes to further development and evaluation of the proposed design method.

During large-scale crisis many responders organize themselves into temporal organizations to be best able to manage the crisis. In Sweden “staff” is one such kind of temporal organization; it is the temporal organization used in the police and in the fire departments. One challenge in temporal organizations is documentation, and how to document the on-going activities. To be able to trace what has happened during crisis, documentation is important. In research, temporal organizations and the documentation that these organizations carry out is a rather unexplored area. This article aims to elaborate this domain further, and identify problem areas related to traceability and documentation of information in the work carried out in temporal organizations during crisis. The article rests upon synthesizing of results from two ongoing research projects. Four different data sets have been collected, primarily within the police. The tentative results indicate that the current documentation strategy and practice within the Swedish police and the staff that they set up during a crisis does not provide a high level of information traceability. One of the reasons for the low level of traceability is that the documentation takes place on non-technical artifacts without embedded recording functions.

Information technology (IT) has for a long time been viewed as a success factor for police investigations. But also criminals are becoming extensive users of IT. Hence, many modern crimes are of a nature where footprints needed for police investigations are both analogue and digital. We argue that modern criminals act as hybrids, i.e. they are using IT as natural components in their criminal activities. In this paper we depart from the idea that the modern criminal acts as a hybrid and analyze the effect this perspective has on modern police work. The result is that the crime arena should be seen as a hybrid arena, where the criminals and the police both should take the role as hybrids. Today however, there is a division among the police officers that hinders this development on the part of the police. Some police officers are collecting digital footprints while others are collecting analogue footprints. This division of the arena forces the police officers to extensive communication and gives the criminals a bit of an advantage as they move more freely.

Introduction. This paper reports an investigation of whether the use made of records affects the design of record keeping systems.Method. The empirical data used in this paper are from four interpretative case studies. A total of fifty interviews and 100 hours of participative observations have been used in data collection. Analysis. The analyses of the collected data have followed a qualitative approach where the data have been categorized and re-categorized. An analysis model was developed based on archival theory and temporal structures, which were the primary purpose and secondary purposes of the use of records. Results. In the temporal structure, the use characteristics were the relationship to a predetermined work process, which required use of records. Within the other temporal structure, the secondary purpose of records use, the use was more difficult to predetermine or identify in advance. The characteristics of the users and their use resulted in unknown users and use of records. Conclusions. It is difficult to predict future use of records, which requires new methods and techniques for design and developing of record keeping systems that can take both the unknown and known user needs into consideration.

IT has for a long time been viewed as a success factor for police investigation, but now IT has also become an obstacle. Many modern crimes are of a nature where the evidence needed for police investigations is found in both the analogue world and the digital world. We argue that modern criminals act as hybrids, i.e. they are using IT as natural components in their criminal activities. In this paper we analyze the modern criminal as a hybrid and analyze the effect this perspective has on modern police work. The result is that the crime arena should be seen as a hybrid arena, where the criminals and the police both should take the roles as hybrids. Today, there is a division among the police officers, some are acting in the digital world; others in the analogue world. This gives the criminal a bit of an advantage.

Purpose Digital footprints are yet another weapon in law enforcement but have so far gained limited attention in research on police practice. Here we conduct an analyse of how a small police task force has managed to make sense of a large set of digital footprints. The aim is to increase the knowledge about the role digital footprints play and how these footprints are captured and managed during a 21st century criminal investigation.

Methodology A case study approach have been applied and the theory of sensemaking as foremost an analytical lens helping the data analysis with a goal to better understand how the police officers worked in the chosen case study.

Findings The use of large sets of digital footprints in the police investigations is a sensemaking process, and the use of digital footprints exists in two temporal structures. In the pre-arrest(1) the use of digital footprints is characterized by sensemaking, i.e. the police officers use the footprints as triggers to traditional police work to understand what is going on. In the post-arrest(2) the use of digital footprints is characterized as evidential aggregation, and analyzing and validating of digital footprints with those collected in previous temporal structure.

Value Knowledge generated from this research gives design implcations for information system that not only fulfil the needs in police practice on a general level but in the actual work of capturing and managing digital footprints. The article also provides knowledge on how digital footprints are forming police practice in 21st century.

Information systems are often designed to fulfill certain user needs, users that are in-tended to use the information system. For electronic records future use can be unknown. As electronic records may be preserved for very long time it would be beneficial to iden-tify future use to be able to design recordkeeping systems that meet future requirements. An electronic record can never be changed or altered during its preservation, and implicit must at creation be captured in a way that it also meet future needs. In this research we propose that scenario planning and the interaction design technique personas together form a method that could reduce uncertainty about future use of electronic records in design of recordkeeping system. The proposed method was evaluated in an experiment like interpretative research. The method was applied in the police domain, which consists of several recordkeeping systems which content should be preserved forever. The re-search indicate that scenario planning and the scenarios that are outcome of the method could be used to design personas, from which then future use of electronic records could be derived. The scenarios must be very rich and could consist of many mini scenarios in which the personas could act.

This paper presents a brief historical account of the unorthodox design of an educational program for information systems development. The design and development of this program was initiated in 1977 at the University College of Östersund, today the Mid Sweden University. The presented account provides a description of the somewhat unusual context of this initiative, which was regarded as a weakness by conventional standards, but became an opportunity in this particular situation. The intellectual inspirations and sources for the design of this program are characterized and followed by a presentation of the very content and operating mode of the educational program. The final part presents the various outcomes that the program gave rise to, in terms of students’ professional careers observed.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present best practices and areas of improvement in Technical Communication (TC) analyzed with Lean values as a base. The purpose is also to analyze the results from a holistic perspective using the Synergy-4 model, a multi-perspective approach which considers four different spheres of an organization at a time in order to discover synergies.

Methodology/Approach: To fulfill the purpose, 15 interviews in four different companies were conducted. These were then analyzed and the results were categorized into a number of predefined Lean areas. The results from the Lean values were then further analyzed with the Synergy-4 model as a base.

Findings: Taking a Lean perspective could enhance the status of TC with regard to finding ways to incorporate the customer’s voice more clearly when it comes to strengthening the role of TC. The result from the analyses indicates that Lean and Synergy-4 can enrich each other.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper was to present best practices and areas of improvement in Technical Communication (TC) analyzed with Lean values as a base. The purpose was also to analyze the results from a holistic perspective using the Synergy-4 model.Methodology- To fulfill the purpose, 15 interviews in four different companies have been conducted. The interviews were analyzed and the results were categorized into a number of predefined Lean areas. The results from the Lean values were then further analyzed with the Synergy-4 model as a base.Results - Taking a Lean perspective could enhance the status on TC with regard to finding ways to incorporate the customer’s voice more clearly when it comes to strengthening the role of TC. The result from the analyses indicates that Lean and Synergy-4 can enrich each other.

34.

Magnusson, M.

et al.

Interactive Institute, Karlstad University, Sweden .

Öberg, Lena-Marie

Mid Sweden University, Faculty of Science, Technology and Media, Department of Computer and System science.

Crisis management training software is gaining researchers' as well as practitioners' interest. In order to truly support organizations it is important that such software responds to actual user needs. The aim of this study is to compare existing initiative described in research with the needs of the users and to identify possible research directions for forthcoming studies. The literature review shows that discussions on users' needs are superficial at best. The software described in research mainly focus on co-located execution of exercises, often in the form of simulations. Furthermore, a "right or wrong" behavior is usually built-in. Empirical data from a web survey indicate that flexibility in time and space during training is a fundamental user need. This is not particularly acknowledged in earlier research. Neither is the users' wish for better support in designing exercises. We propose that system flexibility, modularity and pedagogy for computer based crisis training are urgent issues for future research.

35.

Mozelius, Peter

et al.

Mid Sweden University, Faculty of Science, Technology and Media, Department of Computer and System science.

Öberg, Lena-Marie

Mid Sweden University, Faculty of Science, Technology and Media, Department of Computer and System science.

Learning to program has been classified as problematic learning with high drop‐outrates and low motivation at university level. Like the learning of a natural language thelearning of syntax and basic techniques in a programming language is easier and more naturalif started at a younger age. This study is based on an evaluation of a pilot project for studentsin a Primary school where computational thinking and programming concepts have beenintroduced as play‐based learning. Students have learnt concepts such as ‘Bubble sort’ byplaying the algorithm without any computer. Later the learnt concepts and algorithms havebeen implemented with Scratch and the Python programming language as main tools.The aim of the study is to describe and discuss a model for implementing computationalthinking and programming for fifth grade students by play‐based learning. As the overallresearch strategy the case study approach was used to evaluate this pilot project. Data hasbeen collected in a combination of observations, interviews and group discussions during a 15session pilot course and three workshops on teacher training. Findings have been analysedthematically and presented using the SWOT framework to identify and discuss strengths,weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the Östersund model.Learning outcomes of the pilot were promising but with individual variations in the studentgroup. The idea of introducing programming and computational thinking as early as in primaryschool seems like a good idea, but the recommendation is to keep sessions play‐based andwith enjoyment as the key feature to engage primary school students. Conducted sessions inthe pilot are worth replicating and so are the teacher training workshops. However, thechallenge that remains is to create a sustainable and scalable implementation of the describedmodel including primary school teachers’ professional development.

Purpose – The aim of this paper was to study interactions between Sustainable Development and Lean values by comparing two organizations, one with Technical Communication in-house and one with Technical Communication partly outsourced.

Methodology/approach – A literature study with focus on Lean and Sustainable Development values was carried out. Interviews with companies that provide Technical Communication have been conducted to identify Lean categories. The identified categories have been compared to the findings in Lean and Sustainable Development values.

Findings – The literature study and our results indicate that presence of Lean values support Sustainable Development, but it requires that organizations focus on the culture and values. The result indicates that if Technical Communication has a low status the company put low value on Sustainable Development. If Technical Communication is produced in-house customer involvement might be easier to achieve.

Practical implications – The identification of Lean values can be a starting point for organizations to work with Sustainable Development as it helps the organizations to focus on significant areas.

In assessing a Swedish undergraduate study program in information systems development the proposition is put forward that a process oriented curricula could be a promising alternative to mainstream content based ones. By further stressing a user perspective, creativity, and systemic thinking, conditions are created for putting technology to its best possible use in its service of human needs.

The configuration management (CM) of products has a long tradition but among practitioners the benefits of CM are not clearly expressed. Our empirical study shows example of benefits of CM (process related) and PCI (information related) that not have been identified in earlier research. Hence we suggest that a model of benefits related to CM really should be including benefits related to both CM and PCI. The model is a contribution since practitioners can use it order to strengthen CM’s position in the organization.

40.

Persson Slumpi, Thomas

et al.

Mid Sweden University, Faculty of Science, Technology and Media, Department of Computer and System science.

Öberg, Lena-Maria

Mid Sweden University, Faculty of Science, Technology and Media, Department of Computer and System science.

The use of blended learning environments in higher education has rapidly increased in the 21st century, but if the term also should include blended student groups there is a need for redesign of existing learning spaces. Today many universities give courses and programmes for a mix of campus students and distance participants. There are several research studies reporting on the benefits of blended learning environments for universities and students, while there are less reports on the teacher view of blended learning design.

This study has the aim to describe, evaluate and discuss the design of selected active learning spaces from a teacher perspective. The main research question to answer is: “How should the new learning spaces be designed to support a student centred instructional design for blended student groups?”. The overall research strategy was a case study gathering data in a mix of observations, semi-structured interviews and document studies.

Findings indicate that the new design of classrooms and lecture halls is a step in the right direction opening up new possibilities for active learning. However, there still exist needs for further refinement and teacher training.

One purpose of higher education is to prepare students for a modern and ever-changing global society with increasing complexity and collaborative environments. Scrum is a widely used framework for project management dealing with development of complex products. Few studies have been made on the use of Scrum in higher education. This study examines to what extent distributed Scrum can support online collaborative learning, more exactly what are the advantages and drawbacks on distributed Scrum from a student perspective. Twenty students in an online course has participated in Scrum projects as members in distributed teams. Student’s perceptions was captured using semi-structured interviews. The preliminary results indicate that students are satisfied with Scrum and that they experience a high degree of flexibility. The transparency in Scrum is perceived as a key to open communication and effective collaboration.

The new Swedish method for archival description will be introduced the first of July 2008. The new method is built upon process modeling and will document how records are connected to the processes where the records have been created and managed. The aim with this article is to describe a method to reconstruct processes. The method has been used in a study where I have studied which components that make it possible to reconstruct processes afterwards. The method could serve as a complement to traditional process modeling methods which often builds upon seminars where participators together design todays and tomorrows processes. The method that has been used in the study presented in this paper is from this viewpoint different because it strives to understand and describe how the process has looked like. The method includes three steps; Data collection in archives, process modeling and validations seminars. The result from using the method has showed that it could be a helpful tool.

Technical artifacts with a long lifetime put special requirement on management of technical information. The information need to be managed and maintained to keep it understandable and valid for as long as needed and this put high requirements on effective information management because it is necessary to keep track of which technical information that is valid for which variant of technical artifact. This article is based on a study where requirements on technical information was in focus and especially requirements that concern traceability. Seven requirements have been identified and it have been concluded that those requirements basically concern between which object that the traceability concern, that it matters if a requirement is put from internal or external need or if the requirement concern objects from different information systems. The conclusion is that a requirement is harder to reach if the connections between objects are separated in different information systems.